A challenging question lingers after viewing Andrey Zvyagintsev’s film, *Minotaur*. The film portrays Russians as possessing normal lives – owning homes and cars, like a Volvo – defying stereotypes of excessive drinking or overt displays of wealth. It dismantles the idea of a uniquely Russian predisposition towards creating and experiencing evil. The film prompts viewers to confront the uncomfortable possibility that Russians are not fundamentally different from other people. This challenges the widely held belief in “Russian exceptionalism” and forces a re-evaluation of cultural perceptions. *Minotaur* leaves audiences contemplating whether Russians are simply “like us” or if there is a deeper, perhaps genetic, explanation for their capacity for both creation and suffering. The film’s impact is to question easy judgements about national character.